Netherland, Europe Brief News – At least one person has been killed and ten others injured after a rare tornado hit the town of Zierikzee in the Netherlands on Monday afternoon.
The Zeeland Safety Region, which is coordinating rescue efforts, said there was a “huge deployment of emergency services” in response to the extreme weather incident which also saw a ship run into trouble off the coast, caught in high winds.
Dutch media reports that the tornado ripped the roofs from a number of homes and caused other property damage.
The Weeronline meteorological service described the event as a “weak tornado,” one of only two or three which form in the Netherlands each year.
“There was one fatality in the tornado. In addition, the first picture is about 10 more injured. Emergency services are still busy mapping out the total size,” the Zeeland province safety authority said in a statement.
“The damage is considerable in several streets in Zierikzee. In addition to flying roof tiles and fallen trees, roofs collapsed off four houses.”
Minder vet is dit resultaat: https://t.co/kPmUFK4Jn8
— Jeroen Wiert Pluimers (@jpluimers) June 27, 2022
Images on social media showed debris thrown high into the air on a column of rotating wind.
Others showed large white funnel of cloud extending from the base of a darkened sky. People stopped their cars or left their restaurant tables to watch.
🌪️ Wow! Prachtige foto van een #waterhoos boven Zeeland. Momenteel trekken daar actieve regen en onweersbuien over. Risico op meerdere waterhozen aanwezig!
Foto van Gerco de Haas#waterhoos#onweer#Zeeland#buien#funnel pic.twitter.com/BmemLAanKM
— Art of Thunders Stormchasers (@Art_of_thunders) June 27, 2022
One of the worst tornados to hit the Netherlands happened in June 1967 when seven people died and dozens injured.
